


What's holding you back?

by baalsdungeon, Musta_aurinko



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, Falling In Love, M/M, slight racism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:20:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24414247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baalsdungeon/pseuds/baalsdungeon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musta_aurinko/pseuds/Musta_aurinko
Summary: No no no, Hakuryuu wasnotgoing to just agree to an arranged marriage with a strange foreigner no matter how powerful a magician he was. And the stranger in question didn't seem all too happy about this arrangement either.
Relationships: Judal | Judar/Ren Hakuryuu
Comments: 5
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> We decided on Xin-yu for Judars real name, meaning joy and harmony, as oppsite to his charater.
> 
> This is an AU where Al Thamen didnt infiltrate the Kou Empire, Judar didnt get kidnapped, and Hakuryuu's brothers are alive.

After the death of its first Emperor by the hands of rebels, the Kou Empire had plunged into a bit of a crisis. The princes Hakuyuu and Hakuren had managed to keep control and prevent the power from slipping into unwanted hands, but Kou’s expansion was severely halted for a moment. If that wasn’t enough, they were getting a major rival in Sindria; a western country that scooped up a nation after another in an anti-war alliance to prevent such expansion. And Sindria had an advantage Kou didn’t: a magi.

Hakuryuu fidgeted his hands under the table. The current emperor demanded his presence in the current meeting, even when he usually wasn't involved in the country's politics. Hakuyuu was supposed to become emperor after his uncle, and his brothers led the army to expand the Kou Empire further, currently to the West. Even his sister was involved, only with a small campaign in the Northern regions. 

In fact, Hakuryuu never really left Rakushou, or the palace, for that matter. He was supposed to become a high Government official, currently studying laws and finances. So he didn't really listen to what his uncle read along, even though he knew his siblings wanted him to be a little more invested in the current politics. 

After a while, he noticed several eyes on him, especially Kouen, who pointed at the emperor. He must have been mentioned.  
“As I said,” Koutoku repeated, knowing Hakuryuu hadn’t listened properly. “We need that power. The seven seas alliance has sent an invitation for us to join, which means they are forcing us to give our freedom, and traditions, because we don't have anything that can beat the powers of a Djinn!”

Hakuryuu cleared his throat. “I don't think the Empire should rely on such a power, we have the strength of our people, not some strange magic!”

“I haven't seen you on a battlefield much, but I’m sure you know what you’re talking about.” That hit, Hakuryuu fell silent again. It was no secret that the Emperor didn’t have a high opinion on him, so why was he here if he couldn’t speak his mind? Wasn’t that what he was supposed to do?

It was Kouen's time to speak up. “Hakuei's campaign in the North was a success. Not only did the people there join forces with us, we came across an unexpected power. They are willing to trade their magi with us if we offer financial support of their liking. These,” he pointed towards a document on the table “are their conditions. We should take that chance, a magi could offer us more than anything else, and we have many people suitable for conquering a dungeon.”

Koutoku hummed, thinking about the possibilities. “We should. But if Sinbad knows about this, he will try claiming this magi for his own country. We need to act fast, and this is why you’re here today, Hakuryuu. The magi is your age, he will be suitable to form a contract with you.”

The room fell silent for a moment. Hakuren stood up — he hadn’t been informed about these events, unlike Kouen. “What do you mean?” he asked, having a bad feeling already.

Hakuryuu stared at the scene, not believing what he was hearing. 

“A marriage,” Koutoku said, dead serious. “Sinbad or any other king cannot interfere if the magi is part of the royal family. And you are supposed to have an heir for the Empire, I can’t have you do it. Hakuryuu is old enough to take responsibility, even when his mother disagrees with me at this point. My decision has already been made.”

Hakuren sighed. His brother wasn’t happy with it, balling his hands in anger, unseen by the others. Was this really the right way? “We should think about this, if we invite him and convince him of our goals, I’m sure he will choose Kou to be the country he should be supporting, or we could try to talk to Sinbad, I’m sure he—”

“Enough!” Kouen stood up, followed by his close servants. “We talked about this long enough. Political marriages have expanded and secured this country from the beginning, and the Emperor’s wishes won’t be changed. I know you aren’t happy about this, but I’m sure you know what your duties are, Hakuryuu.”

The prince nodded, hiding his gaze. After everyone left the conference room, he remained silent, Hakuren tried to catch him and talk, but he was ignored. That meant Hakuryuu was in a really bad mood, and he should not be disturbed. Even as a child, his brother would either cry or sulk in a corner. “Maybe later,” he thought, leaving to tell Hakuyuu about this, who couldn't attend the meeting. 

_______________

Rage slowly boiling in his stomach, Hakuryuu stomped his way to his eldest brother. He wasn’t exactly sure what that would accomplish, but he felt like he _had to_ vent about his anger to someone. About how unfair it was. So there he was, shoulders and, really, his whole body tense, facing Hakuyuu.

“Did you hear that?” Hakuryuu did his best to keep from shouting. He was a well-mannered imperial prince after all. Not that he was exactly succeeding in staying calm. 

“They would _marry_ me to some… some foreign magic freak—”

“Hakuryuu…” Hakuyuu tried to calm him, but his brother kept ranting.

“—a _man_ of a different _race_? And no one has a problem with the absolute _insult_ that this is??”

“Hakuryuu”, Hakuyuu said, calm and resolute, while putting a hand on Hakuryuu’s shoulder. “It is necessary for the empire.”

Hakuryuu couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The one person he’d expect sympathy from-- even Hakuren had seemed to be more on his side! Hakuryuu stared at Hakuyuu in silence, mouth slightly agape.

“ _These people_ ”, Hakuryuu spat with venom, “are the ones who killed our father! And now we are playing nice with them when we should be paying them back for what they’ve done?”

Hakuyuu did have a sympathetic look when he observed Hakuryuu, but there was no swaying the facts of reality. “We don’t go to war to pay anyone back or any other such vicious motives. Our father would have never approved of that.” The pointed look Hakuyuu gave him made Hakuryuu gulp and shrink back just a bit.

“All our expansion has been for one goal only: world peace. If every country unites in one nation, one culture, and one ideology, there will be no reason for wars. We fight so our posterity will never have to bear the horrors of war ever again.

“Many of your cousins have done their part in this. How many of them have already agreed to arranged marriages? At least five. They are all doing their duty, fulfilling their _responsibilities_ as princesses of the Empire. For the good of our cause, and for our father’s will, you too, Hakuryuu, should do your part. For the future prosperity of our Kou Empire.”

And there was nothing Hakuryuu said to that. There was nothing he could have ever said to that. The weight of uncomfortableness, of losing the control of his own life, pushed him to the ground like ten thousand tiles of clay.

________________

Hakuryuu was woken up earlier the next day, the palace was already in a turmoil awaiting the “Great Magi’s” arrival. Guards were gathering at the palace entrance, maids preparing a dinner that would properly welcome their new resident. He didn’t feel like dressing up, he didn’t feel like sharing a room with whoever that was, ever. 

So he kept spending the day in his room, before his sister reminded him that it was time to get ready. 

The guards were lined up neatly from the entrance of the palace right to the big doors that led inside, a carpet carefully laid out. It was like a king, a high noble, the Emperor himself would be entering soon, not a farm boy who learnt he was a magi just a few days ago. 

The royal family gathered at the center, while a few townspeople stepped forward. They were obviously very poor, their clothes plain and old. Hakuryuu didn’t pay much attention to them, he would do what he was told, and no further. 

“Lord Magi,” Kouen said, bowing respectfully. “We hope you had a safe journey. I apologize for the urgency to bring you here.”

Hakuryuu couldn’t see his face, only that he didn’t even wear shoes. How disrespectful, he thought bitterly. Everyone at the palace would probably be laughing and gossiping about this farce. 

“Yeah, whatever. I don’t really care, whose damn idea even was it to arrange a wedding? Also, my people will be leaving right after you sign the agreement.” How dare he! Hakuryuu made a sour face, but Kouen placed a hand on his shoulder, silently trying to calm his cousin. 

“I’m afraid this is a necessary step for both our people. You will meet my cousin later on, but please let us host your guards, it was a long trip.”

The man snorted. “They will leave!” he said, walking past Kouen, directly into the palace. He clearly had no manners, and why would he treat his own people that way? It kept getting worse and worse, Hakuryuu thought. He was supposed to swear a vow soon, declaring their union, in front of the eyes of the world’s biggest nation. How could he ever call that person his husband? 

Later that day, they were led to the dining hall, only Hakuei and the magi waiting inside. The two had met in the village and travelled here together. Hakuryuu could finally take a look at the man that would be his fiancè soon. Instead of his former attire, he wore a traditional gown, the finest silk you could possibly find. More than anything, he looked uncomfortable in them, shifting back and forth in order to make them stay in place. Hakuryuu had to admit that the man was at least good-looking: he had soft facial features, and long, well-kept hair. 

“Oi, woman, I won’t wear those clothes, they’re uncomfortable! How many layers are these?!” the magi whined, already complaining about everything. He should be thankful for having such luxuries now, compared to before. 

Hakuei smiled politely. “I’m sure you will get used to them, there are also clothes that aren’t that heavy. These are only for ceremonial purposes.” Quickly seeing something to direct the conversation to, she nodded towards Hakuryuu. “Do you see my brother? He will be the one marrying you.” Hakuryuu sighed. 

“I’m Hakuryuu, nice to meet you,” he said. He wasn’t really fond of the magi, he seemed arrogant because of the way everyone was bowing and crouching before him. Maybe that was only natural, after all, he had a sudden power now.

“I’m Xin-yi.” The young man stretched his hand out, covered in fruit juice. Did he already eat something?

“Shouldn’t you wash your hands before we meet?” Hakuryuu raised an eyebrow. Hakuei looked between them, laughing nervously. The tension in the room was heavy now. 

“Hakuryuu, try to be nice to him, he just arrived. He didn’t grow up in a palace, but I’m sure you will get along after spending some time—”

Xin-yi crossed his arms. “Well, I guess not, since someone is too snobby for everything! I saw him looking at me before, like I was some dirty rat. I fucking hate people like this, didn’t you tell me he was nice and polite?!”

“I’m not the one behaving like an idiot and disrespecting my family! Not in my life will I marry someone like you! Learn some manners!” Hakuryuu turned to leave, gesturing for two guards to follow him, making sure he wasn’t followed. He would speak to his mother about this, she would never let him marry this person. 

_____________

The next morning, Xin-yi was supposed to meet up with the Emperor to discuss things but he decided to spend the day elsewhere. Pfft, what could they do? Kou basically gave his village a big financial boost, and was ready to marry one of their princes off to him, only to make him stay and give his power to them. Since they all seem so desperate, they wouldn’t risk angering him, he figured. He could afford being “disrespectful” as Hakuryuu had put it. 

Speaking of him, why was he here?

Xin-yi saw him earlier, sitting in the palace garden, fiddling with some boring looking plants. After a while, he looked again, and it looked like the prince hadn’t moved an inch from his previous position. Eyes intently focused on the plants, dark hair tied in a bun, long strands framing his face… This was to be his husband. The thought made Xin-yu feel dizzy.

Silently approaching Hakuryuu, Xin-yu looked closer at what he was doing. “What is that thing?” he asked, interested.

Hakuryuu didn’t look up. “Listen. This whole marriage was not my idea, you should know that. I didn’t agree to this, and I don’t know why you’re here now”, he declared mercilessly, with little emotion. “If you want to know my opinion, we don’t need you. We don’t need a magi, or some _foreigner_ who knows nothing about our culture and people! Quite honestly, it would be better if you left”, Hakuryuu glanced at him. “I will do what I was told, but I don’t wish to spend any time with you.”

The funny thing about feelings was that even if you agreed with something, it could still hurt. And maybe Xin-yu wanted to be in this situation just as little as the esteemed prince over here (or even less!) but such a blunt rejection still rubbed him quite uncomfortably.

“Now go, Kouen probably wants to see you.”

But Xin-yu was nothing if not stubborn.

He didn’t say anything for a few moments, and then sat down next to Hakuryuu. He tilted his head curiously, completely ignoring what Hakuryuu just said. “They are nice, did you plant them? We only grow rice in my country.”

“Your country,” the prince repeated, “how can you still call it that? They sold you off without thinking. For what they know, I could be an old man who likes to torture his wives. They didn’t care at all.”

“Hm”, Xin-yu almost chuckled, “You're smarter than I thought! Of course I hate them, that's why I sent them away immediately. Also,” the magi pouted, “don’t act like I begged for this! I’m not even your fucking fiancè, I’m a prisoner in heavy, shitty clothing.” He swung his hands upward in protest. “The Emperor will tell me which king I will choose and where to raise dungeons. As if I know how to do that! I can’t even do proper magic!! How the fuck would you feel in my situation? So I’m not sorry I didn’t bow before your brother’s feet!!”

Hakuryuu felt a wave of guilt washed over him. That’s what Hakuyuu meant. The other was doing his duty, just like he should. Unlike him, Hakuryuu had his family here, and his familiar surroundings, even when the situation was strange and uncomfortable for him. He should at least help him a bit, he thought. Purely out of the gentlemanly attitude he had been raised into.

“I’m— I could teach you. About Kou, I mean. I studied a lot…” He suggested. “We can meet later in the library.” Hakuryuu felt uneasy being so nice to him now, but what else was he supposed to do? They were both kind of forced into the same situation, and Xin-yi would be living in the palace, he should know the rules here. Xin-yi… it sounded like joy and harmony. Quite contrary to the nature of the man crouching next to him. “Also, that name, it doesn’t suit you at all.”

“You studied? Isn’t this like a war nation?” Xin-yi asked bluntly.

Hakuryuu blushed slightly, feeling embarrassed. People were always picking on him for not joining the army, for not fighting. “I’m different. They don’t want me to— I’ll be a Government Official,” he finally said.

The other laughed. “That’s fucking boring!” Then suddenly, his face lit up like he had had the idea of the century. “Hey, I know! I will take you to a dungeon once I've learned it. How about the power of a king?!” He squealed in excitement, clapping his hands. 

“You offer to make me your king? You don’t even know me, and my mother would never— I’m satisfied with my life as it is now. Not to mention, didn’t you yourself say that you have no decision in this?” Hakuryuu was taken aback by the sudden declaration from the magi — he didn’t know what the other was thinking. Or how to read the thought process of this peculiar stranger generally.

Xin-yu seemed oddly disappointed at Hakuryuu’s sour reaction. It seemed like he was about to start sulking, one hand lifted to scratch his head, and the long sleeve slid down towards his elbow just a bit. It gave Hakuryuu another glimpse at something shining.

“Um, why are you wearing these strange arm bracelets?” He had noticed them earlier before, not questioning them.

Xin-yi held his arms up, showing them off in the bright sunlight. “Quite fitting, huh? Since I am kinda a slave now, I mean. At least they’re golden, so it looks good.” 

A slave, huh? 

Hakuryuu stood up, sighing. This was way more difficult interaction that he wanted to have in an evening. “Well, I have to go, as you should too. We will meet when the sun sets, in the library.” Hakuryuu turned to leave. “Just ask someone for the way”, he added as an afterthought.

______________

A tug here and a tug there. Someone working ruin on his precious and handled-with-love hair. Xin-yu was asked questions about his preferences with the headpieces, the make-up, the robes… All things more expensive than he had ever seen in his life, he was ready to bet on that. Even the delicate shoes were decorated with golden thread. Xin-yu didn’t normally even wear any shoes!

Suddenly, the ladies working around him halted in their movements. Someone was at the door, and everyone in the room bowed down as she stepped in. Well, everyone but Xin-yu.

“Good evening”, the first emperor’s widow greeted him with. The mildly surprised Xin-yu only nodded as a response.

Gyokuen looked around the room as every servant around them stepped back further and further out of her way as she came to stand next to the soon-to-be-husband of her beloved youngest son. She wore a relaxed smile on her face, but Xin-yu quickly started feeling that something was wrong. Cold shivers ran down his back. Her expression wasn’t friendly — it was condescending.

“Here you girls are, doing your best to turn this country bumpkin into something presentable”, she sighed with fake worry, and now Xin-yu felt more angry for being insulted than anything. But it didn’t seem that Gyokuen was even trying to be nice.

“I am going to be direct with you. I disapprove of this arrangement. And I disapprove of you. There is no doubt my Hakuryuu deserves better in life than… _this._ ”, and she gestured vaguely in his direction.

“What happiness is there for him in a union with an uneducated barbarian such as yourself? Hakuryuu is a smart boy, you know. More of the scholarly type. I doubt you could even be able to hold a conversation”, her dismissal was cruel, but her tone amused. “And of course there is the matter of heirs. There is little honour in the children of concubines but that’ll be his only option…” she sighed, surely recounting what was a terrible tragedy to her.

“You talk like this is my doing”, Xin-yu accused her, voice biting. However, Gyokuen only hmm’d.

“Is it not? If you didn’t exist, none of this would be a problem”, was her only response to that. “I hope you understand that _you_ with your foreign appearance, foreign dialect, foreign customs, foreign name will _never_ truly belong. You can take a rock and paint it golden, but it will not turn into gold. It will forever be just a piece of rock.”

Xin-yu was glaring at her. “Is that what you came here to say? Just to gloat a bit?”

“Of course not. I came to hand you these papers regarding the dungeon capturing plans on behalf of Koutoku. But of course, someone of your level would not be able to read them”, she handed one of the girls the pile of papers she was holding and turned to leave. “Have a servant read them out loud for you.”

And with that, the woman was gone as the sound of her footsteps faded in the distance. For just a moment, no one made a single move in the room. The atmosphere was stifling, and none of the girls seemed to know how to react to what they had just witnessed. A thump of Xin-yu’s foot to the floor broke the spell and everyone continued the tasks they were doing before Gyokuen’s arrival. Xin-yu didn’t know about everyone else in the room, but he certainly wasn’t going to stand there as a mannequin for any longer than was necessary.

______________

As Xin-yu arrived at the library, he could already spot Hakuryuu waiting at the door, seemingly lost in thought. He didn't know how to approach the other, especially after Gyokuen's sharp words towards him. Did Hakuryuu think the same of him? Doesn't he deserve to be here?

The prince turned around, seeing the other just standing there in the hallway, not moving an inch. "Come here, magi," he said, opening the door to a big room, waiting for him to enter. 

As Xin-yu stepped inside, he stared in awe. Of course, he had never seen this many books, and he was once again reminded that he didn't fit here, his village didn't have anything like it. If he hadn't felt out of place earlier, he certainly did now. Or maybe that was also Gyokuen's doing, for him to think like this.

"I figured as much. It won't be necessary, I'll explain everything to you." He sat himself at a small table, carefully placing a pile of books on it. He had gathered them before, as he had quite the free time recently. "Sit down. I guess Kouen will want you to learn to read soon, anyway. It's important here."

"It's not important for my work as a magi," Xin-yu protested, but followed the demand. Hakuryuu was searching for a certain page, it seemed, so he waited.

"Here," the prince said, handing the book over to him. "I found one that has a few pictures, the process of such a ceremony is quite complicated, at least for official and royal weddings."

"So, am I going to be royalty then?" 

"You will be our magi then," Hakuryuu corrected, not wanting to think about the consequences of their marriage just yet.

Xin-yu let his fingers slide over the paper carefully, a smiling woman decorated with golden ornaments and a bright red dress. "I never thought I would get married someday," he mused. "There was no such an option, I would work day-in, day-out, everything was the fucking same! I was so excited when I was told I was a magi, I would see the Kou Empire, I would finally be able to- huh, what did I want? I forgot."

Hakuryuu eyed him carefully. He didn't know where the other came from, nor was it important. "I also haven't. I simply do what's my duty, so I don't really mind. Also, if you wanted to leave your village so badly, you now have a chance to live in the capital, so you have an advantage, at least."

"It's not the same!" Xin-yu almost shouted, clearly upset. "I didn't ask to be a magi, or to get involved in any of this," he gestured at the pile of books before him. "I wanted to see the world! All of the different countries, not bound down by anything! This marriage is like a death sentence for me."

"... I'm sorry," Hakuryuu said. His voice was calm, he expected Xin-yu to run off, but the other sat himself again. There was a peaceful silence after that, neither of them knowing what to say. 

So Hakuryuu turned to his book again, reading silently, Xin-yu watching his movements. The prince didn't seem to mind his staring, so he continued.

"When did you get these scars?" he asked, reaching for the prince's face with his fingers. Hakuryuu backed away, grabbing his wrist before he could.

"Don't. ever. touch. me. You understand?" His voice was firm, and slightly angry. "People like you have killed my father, people like you have tried to kill me, that's why. My mother never let me leave the palace after that. Do you think you're the only one who dreamt of a different life? This _wedding_ ," he said the word with a sour face, "is like a death sentence for me."

Xin-yu raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think that? I'm not those people... The fuck do you want from me?! Why don't you just live the life that you wanted then, what's holding you back?"

"I could ask you the same." Hakuryuu stood up. He had hoped to improve their relationship, but the magi did nothing but complain about his fate. 

Xin-yu laughed. "I don't know. Guess we aren't that different, after all! I just do what I'm told, just like you. And why do you fear me touching you so much? After all, soon we will share a bed and—"

"We will not. Did you honestly think I would sleep with you?! My uncle hates me, that's the only reason he would put me to the embarrassment of marrying a man, he probably wants to prevent me from having an heir. I didn't want to, anyway, but at least I won't be forced to be with you any further." 

Xin-yu stood up as well now, gathering his things. "Well, I should go to bed then. Kouen expects to see me tomorrow, and show me my future king candidates. Good night." He hurried out of the library, two books in his arms. Hakuryuu was frustrating him! He tried to speak in a well-mannered way to gain his respect, well, fuck it! This whole engagement was a joke, simple as that. Nothing was expected of him after it, not even to fulfill his role as a husband. They wouldn't talk to each other, share a room, or anything! 

It made him so angry!

____________

Kouen stood outside the palace, waiting for their country’s new magi. He was late, of course he was. Xin-yu had skipped every single one of their meetings, lazing around on the large trees or in his room. The emperor was getting impatient with him, and from what he had heard, Hakuryuu and his fiance didn’t get along either.

It was kind of frustrating: after all the hope Kou held upon this powerful magician, he proved himself to not know about his duties at all. Kouen decided to try taking Xin-yu by hand, showing him the glorious empire and it’s promising king candidates. Maybe, he thought, the magi would become a little less ignorant and uninterested in their politics and start preparing for raising dungeons and learning magic. 

After almost an hour of waiting, Xin-yu arrived, his gaze bored or annoyed. Kouen couldn’t tell which one it was this time.

“Welcome, Lord Priest. I’ve been waiting quite a while, shall we go?”

“I don’t care for the city, and queen Unpleasant already told me which king I would take to my dungeons. So, what am I _really_ here for?” Xin-yu crossed his arms, tapping his fingers impatiently. 

To his surprise, Kouen laughed at his words. “Queen Unpleasant? Do you mean Gyokuen? Be careful around Hakuryuu, he won’t like you calling her like that. And what I want is to introduce my siblings to you. Of course, you have all right to be angry at me or them, because it’s not your choice who of us will be your king, but I can tell you everyone of them is capable and worthy of your assistance.”

“Pfft, I’m sure everyone is as pleasant to be around as Hakuryuu. He’s a weirdo, you know?” Xin-yu smirked, suddenly a little more excited over this meeting. And curious about the members of this unusual family. Kouen was so different from Hakuei and her brother, how could these three be related? “He said you’d force me to learn how to read.”

“You _should_ know how to read. Knowledge is more important than any power we have, we can learn from the past wars, and understand other people’s thoughts on anything. Also, you should at least be able to sign your marriage contract when the day comes.” Kouen walked ahead, not waiting for Xin-yu to follow. He knew the other would come with him. 

And he did. “Hey, wait for me! Who says I want to sign this shit properly? I don’t care how my signature looks!” 

“If you change your mind later, take this,” the other said, handing him a small notebook. “I’ll ask the others if someone is willing to practice with you. Reading is important, after all.”

Xin-yu rolled his eyes at this. Oh, he was related to Hakuryuu, indeed. 

The magi walked in silence for a while, staring at the small book in his hands. It was a nice gift, and he wondered why Kouen had given it to him. Had Hakuryuu told him he should practice? This guy… 

Kouen stopped at a small door, knocking. Another man answered it, with the same hair as the prince. There was no doubt that these two were siblings, or at least closely related. “Ah, brother En, welcome,” nodding towards Xin-yu, he bowed slightly. “Welcome, lord magi.”

“No need to be so formal, Koumei. It seems that our new guest doesn’t care for such formalities. Or am I wrong?” Kouen nodded towards the magi, and Xin-yu laughed slightly. 

“This guy gets it! But who the fuck are you? I hope the emperor doesn’t want me to make you a king.” 

Koumei raised an eyebrow. “No, you don’t need to. I serve my brother, as you will serve this empire. Now come, I’ll introduce you to your future kings.”

The room inside was small, just big enough to fit a handful of people. Xin-yu knew Hakuryuu’s brothers would be the ones he would help obtain a djinn first, followed by Kouen. The latter one was indeed capable, Xin-yu could tell just after a few minutes. He was strong, leadership ability combined with probably quite a lot of experience on the battlefield.

Kouen sat himself next to a few new people, and the magi was startled by how similar to Hakuryuu both of them looked. Hakuei and her mother did too, but not this much. But still, Hakuryuu was different from them all. Xin-yu didn’t know what it was, it wasn’t his scars, or the frown he wore most of the time compared to the gentle faces of his siblings, and it made the magi’s head hurt thinking about what it could be. 

Koumei stepped forward, almost looking tired. “Magi, these are your kings, prince Hakuren and prince Hakuyuu, the next emperor. We will provide you the best magicians to sharpen your skills, and to make sure they won’t be harmed in the dungeon.”

“Don’t worry, I’m quite capable of protecting myself,” the older one — Hakuyuu — said, smiling gently. “Pleased to meet you. Xin-yu, wasn’t it? I hope you like Rakushou, have you seen it already?”

“Yes,” Xin-yu sat down, following Kouens example. “I just think it’s a shitty idea to—”

“Language!” Koumei interrupted, eyeing him dangerously.

The magi growled. “I mean, I don’t think a marriage is necessary at all! I can do my job without it, and Hakuryuu also doesn’t want to. I would take him to a dungeon, without all of _this_.”

“The emperor has decided on this. My younger brother has a rebellious mind, I understand he would want to convince you to break up the engagement… but a dungeon? Did he say such things?” Hakuren stared at Xin-yu. He was the one who fought against his uncle on this matter, without success. Hakuryuu never mentioned he wanted to have a magi himself.

“He didn’t. It was my idea. But yeah, I won’t do that. I’ll do what I’ve been told,” sighing dramatically, the magi leaned back on his chair. These guys were no fun at all. 

“Don’t you think you might _enjoy_ this a bit?” Kouen commented, leaning on his elbow. “Learning magic isn’t easy, especially since you’re not a child who grew up with it. But I guess it must be exciting, having all of these new powers, right? Maybe, you’re afraid you can’t do it, using your powers. I haven’t seen anything from you yet.”

Xin-yu huffed, folding his arms. “Of course I can!! I’m a magi! I’ll show you all, Hakuryuu will be in awe of my magic, and you will apologize for doubting me. Now, where are these instructors you told me about?!”

Koumei yawned, not liking how exhausting this magi was. “You can start your training tomorrow, if you wish.”

“Alright, I’ll go relax until then. Or are there other princes I need to meet?”

“I have quite a few more siblings,” Kouen said, “but my father doesn’t deem them capable of representing this empire in a war.” His voice was slightly bitter as he spoke; he most likely didn’t approve of this decision. 

The magi ignored that, leaving without saying anything else, simply waving a hand. 

Hakuyuu smiled at Kouen. “Well, quite an interesting person, I must say. You did well with him. At least now he is in good enough spirits to finally work on his magic. I just hope he’ll get along with Hakuryuu from now on.”

“I don’t know about that,” the other thought. They both were difficult people, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, magi usually is plural form but yee let's ignore that ^^ Sleep deprivation is the true author of this fanfiction.


	2. Chapter 2

Hakuryuu didn't see the magi for a few days, as he was advised to work on his magic abilities. He was trained by a few of Kou's best magicians, and Hakuryuu was a bit curious to see if he had mastered some spells already. It must be hard for someone who never used this power— or had he? The prince didn't ask him about it before. 

The next time he passed the training grounds, he spotted Xin-yu leaning against one of the big pillars surrounding the area.

"Already taking a break? Haven't you just started?" Hakuryuu asked, amused, knowing it would rile the magi up.

He was right. "Pfft, magic is fucking hard, try doing that! Also, look at this!" Xin-yu presented him his wand, proud of his new accessory. "Pretty cool, huh? I'm so strong now! Do you wanna see?"

Hakuryuu shook his head. "I'd rather not, Lord Magi. I don't have time for—"

"Hey! Quit the fake respect!” the magician huffed. “From now on, my name is Judar!" he folded his arms in a defensive manner. "I figured, since you said I have an unfitting name, I'll choose my own. I will do whatever I want, I don't care what the idiots here say!"

Hakuryuu blinked in confusion. 'You can't simply change your name like that' or 'How did you come to that sudden decision?' were what came to his mind. Instead he simply said "Judar," as if trying out the name. "It suits you." 

Judar felt a wave of pride at his words. Hakuryuu never faked being nice, which meant he could believe what he said. He wanted to be a new person, someone who would be recognized by others. Or feared, he didn't care.

"You think so?" he asked, laughing. "Wait until I show you what I can do!" He began casting a spell, summoning a block of ice into his hands. Hakuryuu took a step back, but watched in amazement. Of course he had seen magic before, but not like this.

"Can you actually fight with this?" he asked, not wanting to praise Judar just too much. He got a nod in return.

"Of course! C'mon Ryuu, let's fight!" The magi grabbed Hakuryuu's arm, who tried getting it off, but was dragged along already. 

"I said not to touch me!" he protested as Judar walked towards one of the guards.

"Hey, give me your sword," Judar let go of Hakuryuu now, while the soldier seemed to be unsure, looking at the prince questionably, who nodded. Having permission, the man handed his sword over to him. 

"I can't fight," Hakuryuu admitted.

The magi smirked. "I can't read and you can't fight, seems only fair to me!"

"That's hardly the same. I can't read you to death!" 

"Wow, Ryuu, you're so dramatic! Calm down, will you? I wanna show you my defensive magic, you just gotta attack me _somehow_ , ok?" He took a few steps back, adding some distance. 'Also your mother will kill me if I hurt you,' he thought. 

"Come on, attack me!" Judar shouted, as Hakuryuu stormed towards him, jumping to attack from above. 

Of course, that didn't work; Judar had some kind of defensive shield, blocking the attack. 

"See? This is my borg, you can't hurt me! It's great, and I don't even have to use any magic. I can actually attack at the same time!" Despite what he said before, Judar put out an attack, firing small blocks of ice at Hakuryuu.

To his surprise, the prince dodged it easily, smirking. "I'm not that easy to defeat!" he said, running towards him once more. 

Instead of blocking the attack, Judar's borg broke, and Hakuryuu hit him on the shoulder slightly, making Judar yelp in surprise. 

"Ah, fuck. That hurts! Hey, how did you do that? It wasn't different from before." Judar grabbed his shoulder in pain. Why was Hakuryuu so strong?

"I didn't mean to hurt you, but you were clearly too much into it, so I had to stop you," the other explained, letting go of his sword. 

"'Can't fight', my ass" Judar mumbled. "You're fucking strong! Nothing else could break my defense!"

Hakuryuu sighed. "I'm not. This is a special technique. I can manipulate my magoi, like this," he took Judar's hand, concentrating the energy there. "You feel that? If I summon my magoi into my weapon, my cut gets stronger, even if it's for a short time. You have unlimited magoi, and once you've mastered more magic, I'm sure I won't be able to defeat you anymore."

Judar stared at Hakuryuu, then back at his hand. "That's… impressive. I didn't know you could do that." 

"Please don't tell anyone. I have been taught this some time ago, but nobody knows about it. I'd like to keep it this way." Hakuryuu let go of Judar now, ready to leave now that their sparring session was over. His mother had asked to speak to him, he shouldn't make her wait.

"Hey, wait! You said you had no intention to be my king, that you won't fight, but you learnt such a thing!" Judar shouted. "Why? I think you _want_ to, right? Having adventures, I mean. You could easily capture a dungeon! I know—"

"Please stop, Judar. I know what you want to say, but I won't join you. There was a time where I wanted to leave the palace, but like you, reality hit me soon enough. We can't just simply do what we want." Hakuryuu hated thinking about such things, why was Judar offering again and again? 

"Hm, as you say, young prince!" The magi made a dramatic bow, smirking. "Offer still stands."

"Declination still stands." Hakuryuu said, walking past him. He was already late now.

_______________

Hakuryuu rushed through the corridors of the palace as fast as he could. He got a few strange looks, but it didn't matter right now. He was going to be late.

As expected, his mother was already waiting, sitting in her office patiently. As she saw Hakuryuu standing at the door frame, completely out of breath, she got up however, rushing to his side. 

"Oh my, Hakuryuu. What's wrong?" She was worried, already checking on his forehead if he had caught a fever. Hakuryuu had them quite often, as a kid—

"Yeah, I'm fine. Judar talked to me earlier," he answered truthfully, sitting at her desk. "Why did you want to see me?"

Gyokuen looked confused for a moment. "Judar?" 

"Oh right, I mean the magi. He wants to be called by that name now." Hakuryuu had already gotten used to the idea of calling him that, so he didn't even think about it.

"Right," Gyokuen repeated. "He's the reason I called you here. But first, what did he want from you? You shouldn't spend time with him, he's lazy, rude, and doesn't fit here. Just a few days and you're late for the first time since forever."

Hakuryuu raised an eyebrow. "How can I prevent myself from spending time with him? We are engaged, after all. Soon it will be public, and then—"

His mother made a gesture for him to stop talking. "Don't worry. I know you are against this, and I am too! It was your uncle's decision, I would have never agreed that my youngest son would be married off to someone like this… I can't trust him. What if he hurts you, or worse? I remember when you were in a coma, you barely survived, just because I trusted those people to join forces with us!"

Hakuryuu looked to the ground, sighing. He had heard that story more often than he could count. 

"There's nothing that could change Koutoku's will, he said that himself." 

Gyokuen turned around, smiling. "There is a way. If the magi becomes unnecessary, Kou will cast him aside. I plan to forge an alliance with Sindria."

Hakuryuu stood up, knocking his chair over. "You can't!! If the others find out—"

"They know. Kouen approved of it, I'm allowed to try leading negotiations. That's why I will leave soon, together with him. You should focus on your work. I will remove that person from here." 

"I understand," Hakuryuu sat down again, waiting a moment. He was unsure about what to say now. "He wants me to go to a dungeon." As he saw the sharp look on his mother's face, he regretted this in an instant. 

"Why you? Didn't you want to become a government official? That way you can serve the Empire, without being in danger." She walked around her desk, placing her hands on Hakuryuu's cheeks. "Do you think about going? Do you not want me to cancel the marriage?"

Hakuryuu gulped, his heart racing. What if he said yes? No, she would only say how worried she was, and—

"No, I don't want to be his king candidate," he said, which made Gyokuen smile. 

"See? You're smart, Hakuryuu, unlike some of your siblings. That person can do some silly magic tricks, but it doesn't give him any skill to judge who is suited for conquering dungeons. But _I_ know you." Gyokuen then saw the magi, standing close to an open window. He was obviously listening to their conversation.

Of course he would do that, he had no manners! What could she expect from a _farmer_?

"Aren't you relieved now?" she chirped, clapping her hands together.

"Yes. You're right. I don't think he has what it takes to be a magi." Hakuryuu didn't know what to say. Judar was a stranger, he didn't know if he did.

He got up, bowing slightly. "I wish you luck on your journey, mother. I'll take care of the things here while you're gone."

"I will do what I can to help you, Hakuryuu." Gyokuen bowed as well, and as she looked outside, Judar was gone. 

Judar… what a strange name that was.

_______________

Judar stormed away with harsh footsteps, as if hurting the ground beneath him made things any better. He wasn't suited to be a magi? First, they force him into this, and now he is like an insect people want to get rid of as soon as possible. 

Was this what Hakuryuu thought of him? He was distant, and serious, but he thought the other understood him, just a little. 'This marriage is like a death sentence.' They both said this but… was it really such a bad thing to be with him?

A wave of emptiness washed over his body. So many people were around him, servants, soldiers, guests, and all they wanted was to get rid of him now. Hakuryuu, Hakuei, they all—

Judar hated this feeling. Sometimes, in his village, after a long day on the fields, he would look at the sunset, as if his life was just flowing by without meaning. Being a magician, choosing a king, someone who believed in him and trusted him, he would never have it.

'He doesn't have what it takes to be a magi.'

Judar leaned against the wall, trying to calm down. Soon they would send him away, like his village did. He felt dizzy all of a sudden. 

He needed to feel something, at least. For all he had, he was considered a great beauty, especially here in Kou. His long hair and sharp eyes have always gotten attention, even when he didn't want it. Even when he had to admit it was a good way of distraction. Just one night with a stranger, to get his mind off his problems. Hakuryuu certainly wouldn't mind, they weren't engaged anymore, right?

Slipping out of the palace was easy, he wasn’t forbidden to visit the capital. He wasn’t interested in sightseeing, however, just finding someone to bring over to his bed, just today. Maybe if he did it, they’d throw him out. Not that he minded anymore.

At the nearest inn he could reach, Judar ordered himself a few drinks. It helped a bit, but not quite enough. A few people stared at him. They probably knew who he was, as he had a quite outstanding look. Or maybe they didn’t, but he wore a lot of gold, which always caught attention. 

Soon enough, one of them was brave enough to approach him. Not quite Judar’s type, a boring face like so many had here in Rakushou. Maybe he was just used to seeing more beautiful people, it was undeniable that the whole royal family had outstanding features, even Gyokuen had a face most people dreamt of. Also her children were-

“Do you mind me buying you a drink? My name is Wu Liao.” As he spoke, Judar just nodded, not wanting the man to tell his life story when he wasn’t interested in any of it. After only a few minutes, he stood up, gulping down the rest of his wine.

“Come, follow me,” he said, an unspoken invitation. The man, whatever his name was, hesitated, blinking in surprise. Then he nodded, walking after Judar, who went ahead. 

“I didn’t know you were so interested in me,” he said, hurrying to catch up. 

“I’m not,” Judar thought, but simply walked until they reached the palace. Some guards gave them strange looks, it was obvious why the magi brought his guest. 

Wu Liao looked around, interested. “You live in the palace? Then you really are—” Judar didn’t want to talk or answer boring questions, so he shut the other up with a kiss. That seemed to work, and he felt the others hands all over his body now. 

For a moment, the magi wondered if this was a good idea. He still felt empty, and later he would feel even worse. As if reading his mind, his companion stopped, and Judar wanted to ask what was wrong. His eyes widened as he saw Hakuryuu standing just a few feet away from him.

Maybe the guards had told him, or maybe it was a coincidence that he was here now, just in this moment. 

"How dare you betray me like that?!" The prince screamed in anger. "You can't bring anyone into the palace like that! We are going to marry if you have not forgotten!! People will gossip about my name, do you want that? Don't think only about yourself!" Judar stood there, dumbfounded, his companion shifting nervously. "Get lost!" Hakuryuu commanded, not looking at him. The man bowed hurriedly, then left as fast as he could.

Judar puffed his chest, stepping forward now. "How dare I? Don't play innocent when I know you're here to send me off again, engagement be damned! I can do whatever I want with whomever I want! In fact, fuck you, you damn arrogant—"

There was a sharp pain, and it took Judar a moment to realize Hakuryuu had hit him. His cheek burnt from the impact, and he tried cooling it with his hand. Not even a borg was prepared for this sudden action. A moment of chilling disbelief quickly turned into burning anger.

"Hey, what the fuck! Some imperial prince you are, I can't wait to leave from here." Judar turned around, entering his room, and slammed the door shut behind him with a loud bang. 

Hakuryuu had to fight the urge to knock and discuss this further. Judar ran away from everything, he couldn't let him get away with this. After all, they were… 

After a few minutes, he calmed down, realizing Judar had been right somehow. Even if people badmouthed him then, everyone knew this was an arranged marriage, and it would probably be cancelled anyway. It still bothered him that the magi tried to start an affair suddenly. 'He probably just felt alone', Hakuryuu thought, looking at the still shut door. He should apologize, shouldn't he?

Gyokuen always told him how uncultured these people are, but he had been the one hitting Judar out of pure anger. He regretted it now, but his pride couldn't let him admit it to the other. 

_______________

He passed Judar's room often during the following days, but he never saw him. The magi locked himself up, to the point where Hakuryuu thought he may have fled from the place on a magic carpet or something. It wouldn't surprise him.

He asked some of the maids about him. They reacted with surprise to his questioning, saying Judar was in bed, but refused to eat anything. It may be a sickness, Hakuryuu thought, but he knew that probably wasn't true. 

When he saw Judar again, napping in the gardens, he was shocked to see how much weight he had lost. The boy looked pale as a sheet. It had just been a little over a week, but the other had been quite skinny to begin with. Was he trying to starve himself to death? After a simple argument? They had fought before, and Judar didn't seem to mind his insults back then.

After a moment of deliberation, Hakuryuu sat next to where Judar was lounging.

"You should eat," he commented, as the magi woke up. He got no answer, so Hakuryuu thought of something else to say. "Let's have a fight," he suggested, a bit desperate. 

Judar snorted. "I had more than enough fights with you. Now fuck off!" 

Hakuryuu sighed, getting up slowly. It was useless to try any further. But he wouldn't let Judar starve. If he liked it or not, they were still engaged. Maybe the other would see that he was sorry if he made him something to eat, at least.

________________

As Hakuryuu entered the kitchen, however, Hakuei was already there. "Oh, Hakuryuu! Could you help me here? I try to prepare something for Judar, as a wedding gift, you know? Koumei gave me the recipe." 

"Why do you prepare a gift? Judar doesn't want to marry me." Hakuryuu felt he could be honest with his sister, if not to anyone else. 

Hakuei blinked in surprise. "Oh, are you sure? He talks so much about you, he wants to take you to a dungeon once the conflicts are over. Didn't you know that?" 

"He did… say that?" Of course Judar had offered this multiple times at this point, but Hakuryuu didn't know that he was serious enough to tell Hakuei about it. "He shouldn't say such things. It's silly, and impossible. I couldn't go with him, even if I wanted to."

Hakuei hummed, focused on her dough again. "Well, _do_ you want to? If you could?"

Deciding to dodge the question, Hakuryuu wanted to know something else. "... are you close? You and Judar, I mean. You found out he was a magi, how was the village? He seemed quite happy to leave this place."

"Oh? I'm really surprised you're asking me this. He has been here far longer now than the entire time I spent in the northern regions. What I mean is, you could just ask him about it, right?" She now looked at her brother, who looked a bit distressed. "Is everything alright? I thought you'd get along, that's why I even suggested—" 

"This was your idea!?" Hakuryuu was more than surprised, given that his sister knew more than well that he disliked outsiders. Especially from regions who were known for revolting against the Kou Empire in the past. 

Hakuei smiled a little. "Yes, he is honest and adventurous, and as I told him about this place, I was sure he would like it here. I didn't say you should be married to him, that was uncle's idea, but he could help you open up a bit more. I thought if you met someone from outside, you would realize you were wrong about these people! Remember when you thought I had fallen in love with someone from Kouga? You shouldn't think like that, Hakuryuu."

"Why didn't you tell me this?” Hakuryuu was cursing in his head before deciding that it wasn’t worth it. “Ah, it doesn't matter, there's no way me and Judar will get along anymore. But could you do me a favor and bring him dinner? He sends the maids away, but you seem to be friends with him." 

"Yeah, sure. He kind of behaves like a child sometimes, but you will get used to it. Just dare him to do something, or promise a reward," Hakuei snickered, thinking back to when he would refuse every vegetable, even when it was the main harvest in the village. 

'If only she knew how serious it was', Hakuryuu thought. He still nodded, since Hakuei was in good spirits. He would be the first one to marry among the siblings, after all.

_______________

Nobody knew how she did it, but Hakuei made Judar eat dinner for the first time in forever. 

After that, the magi was seen around more often, but he still avoided Hakuryuu. Their union wasn't exactly official yet, so people didn't expect them to be seen together. That would soon change, however, since their engagement would be announced to the public in two days.

Hakuryuu did what he was told by his mother, working in the office, which was usually her job. He didn't exactly enjoy it, and his mind was clouded with worry.

How will the public react to the announcement? Maybe they didn't even know Hakuryuu existed, given that he always stood behind his siblings... not that he minded. 

Knowing Judar, he wasn't exactly a bad person, he could even understand him to some degree. Being married to him — maybe it wouldn't be too bad. If only he could find a way to apologize. 

But even then, the thought of his husband having affairs was… weird. Would it be this way, that they would meet every few weeks in the hallway, but lead separate lives?

There was a knock on the door as one of his assistants stepped inside. "Ah, Your Highness. I apologize for the inconvenience. The magi— your fiancé wants to speak with you." He bowed slightly as Hakuryuu made a surprised expression, nodding in response.

Judar walked in soon after, back to wearing no shoes, his hands folded behind his neck in a lazy manner. Hakuryuu waited for him to say something after their long days of not speaking a word to another.

"The old pig told me to talk about the announcement. Honestly, I don't fucking care about any of this, do whatever you want. I hate how the people here try to pretend I can decide what to do. Look how I'm ordered around this place." The magi sat on the floor, not bothering to glance at Hakuryuu. 

"Judar, listen, I know you probably hate me now—"

"Damn right I do!" 

Hakuryuu rubbed his temples, breathing in. He didn't want this to escalate into another argument. As Judar put it, they had fought enough. 

"I don't even want to know the details of that, but we should try to talk normally. I didn't mean to— I mean of course it's your decision to meet with other people. Just try to be discreet about it." 

Judar laughed, but his face was serious as he spoke. "That's the worst sorry excuse of an apology I've ever heard! What, did you feel bad? I've had worse in my life, so don't worry about it." 

Hakuryuu wanted to say that he did, but decided not to. "We can have dinner later, and then talk. I could prepare some—"

"Nah, don't bother. As I said, do as you please with the decisions. Tell your uncle I was here, that's all." The magi waved a hand, gesturing their conversation was over. 

"If the marriage gets cancelled," Hakuryuu tried again, "what will you do then? You could still stay in Kou, you're a magi. Our bond doesn't change that." He knew Judar would most likely just leave, but what if he didn't? They could even become friends, maybe. 

"I don't know." That was the only answer he got, before Judar left again. 

Hakuryuu had been trying, but he didn't seem to be able to reach the other anymore. 

______________

Kougyoku wandered around the palace, skipping a few steps as she did. Her assistant wasn’t happy to see her walk around like that, but she said she had a present for someone, and she wouldn’t let anyone stop her from giving it away. 

People talked a lot about her cousin’s fiancé, most of the gossip included rude and unspeakable things, and the princess didn’t want to believe any of it. The servants had done the same to her and her brothers, mostly Kouha. He still wasn’t respected by his father, or the nobles and high-born people in Rakushou, and neither was she. 

Maybe, she thought, even though she knew Hakuryuu and Judar really avoided each other and even though their marriage wouldn’t make them truly happy, she could be a friend to the magi. For all she knew, Kougyoku will probably be married away in the future, just as he was. And like him, almost everyone avoided her because of her origin.

After almost an hour, she finally found Judar in the garden, a frown on his face. Kougyoku hadn’t met him before, not once in all the weeks he had been here already. 

She didn’t know how to approach him, but then decided to put on a bright smile, stepping closer. “Judar, I was searching for you! I wanted to congratulate you before the announcement. I’m sure you’ll be busy that day when—”

“Stop the fake politeness, I hate this shit! Hakuryuu is rude as fuck, of course I’ll be busy pretending I enjoy the evening and trying not to puke. Who even are you?” The magi rolled his eyes, why would he try to be any nice now? “And what’s that ugly thing in your hands?”

Kougyoku pouted, holding it out for him. “It’s a flower crown, I made it for you. And I’m- I’m not faking anything!” She sat down. “I know Hakuryuu isn’t rude. Have _you_ tried to make this engagement work? Seriously tried? I bet you didn’t”

“I don’t need to try anything,” Judar argued, taking the flower crown and observing it carefully. “That’s a shitty present, you know? After a day or two you have to throw it away, so why even make it in the first place?”

Kougyoku sighed, this guy was difficult to handle. “You know, I don’t like the people here. The nobles, I mean. They laughed at me because I was clumsy, and I didn’t want to be a princess that would one day marry just to enlarge the empire. But I love my siblings, and I’ll do it to help them. You could try it too! Try to be someone Hakuryuu accepts, maybe you two could become friends then, at least.”

“Someone he accepts? You mean wear fancy clothes and smile politely and speak like an idiot? No, thank you!” 

The princess laughed. “I knew you’d say that! You already are an idiot, no need to talk like one.”

“And you’re an old hag who wears too much make-up! You don’t have a right to criticize me.” Judar placed the crown next to himself, collecting flowers. “I bet I can make this better than you!” he declared, trying to bind them together without success.

“You’re doing it wrong,” Kougyoku pointed out, watching him struggle. “Here, I’ll show you.”

“Pfft, I don’t need to learn such a useless thing!” Judar huffed, then frowned slightly. “So you think if I play nice tonight, Ryuu will like me more?”

“You’re calling him that?! How cute!” The princess smiled brightly now. Judar really was an idiot. “Then try to be polite today, I’m sure he will appreciate your effort!”

“Shut up and show me how to make these flower things!” 

_____________

How would Judar begin to describe the celebration that was organized to announce and celebrate their engagement? Irritating could be one word. Decorations more lavish than he has ever witnessed and guests more stuck up than any people he has had to pretend to be nice to.

Judar was standing there next to his now betrothed, dressed up from head to toe in beautiful (and heavy!) fabrics and jingling jewellery. All of it restricted his movements and made him stiff like all of the other unfortunate souls who lived a life of luxury and were now there to congratulate them like spoiled, drooling dogs begging for treats. Judar did not believe for a second most of it was genuine.

Well still, any excuse for a party.

But this was what court life was like, wasn’t it? A miserable pile of rules and etiquette. Kiss someone’s boots to get to a higher position and kick others down to keep yourself up there. In a way, it brought Judar just a tiny bit of smug satisfaction. He had no doubts that many people shared Hakuryuu’s sentiments; Judar was just a foreigner to be distrusted, who relied on undesirable forces like magic. And now he was about to be a part of the imperial family and they had to grovel in front of him. Something good to get out of this farce.

So maybe those were Judar’s thoughts. But on the outside? Hakuryuu felt mildly disturbed witnessing Judar now. The magician had been wearing a calm smile on his face the entire evening. He stood with his back straight and politely bowed to everyone who came to congratulate.  
Someone asked Hakuryuu something. Bewildered from the entire situation, he felt like a fish out of water when _he_ was supposed to be the one who knew what was going on and _Judar_ the who did not know how to behave.

“Yeah”, Hakuryuu mumbled almost awkwardly as a response before Judar joined the conversation. “We are most thankful of your kind words”, he said, polite and humble, to the elderly man talking to them, and the man seemed to be satisfied with this and left them alone. Hakuryuu didn’t recognize the boy next to him. If magic was real, was possession also possible?

In a way, it was making Hakuryuu angry.

“What are you doing?” he asked Judar, half a whisper.

“What do you mean?” the other asked, seemingly oblivious.

Then someone else interrupted them again. Someone from the military, based on what he was talking about.

“For our conquest efforts, this is a great possibility”, the man commented with a conversational tone. A Kan clan member? Hakuryuu was quite sure.

“Yes. With my power it will be no problem. I look forward to being able to serve the Kou Empire and the Emperor with all of my skill”, Judar reassured with a bright smile, and this was it for Hakuryuu.

They were invited to go and get something to eat. Judar asked Hakuryuu if he was going. Instead, Hakuryuu swatted Judar’s hand away and left the party as quickly as he could, stomping away. It’s not like he was needed any more, the formalities were over.

It left Judar standing there alone quite dissatisfied though.


	3. Chapter 3

As early morning hit, Hakuryuu was once again disturbed by Judar, this time without knocking or any permission. He didn't realize what was happening at first; he went to sleep immediately after he left the festivities, but still felt restless in the morning. Usually he got up before sunrise, but today he decided to stay in bed a while longer. Until the crude interruption, that is.

Judar closed the bedroom door harshly as Hakuryuu made a surprised yelp. What was he doing?

“Hey, so I fucking did what you wanted, like, I was super nice and all, and you leave without a word. Thank you very much!” Judar sounded angry, crossing his arms.

“Can you please knock before entering someone’s bedroom?” Hakuryuu gestured for the other to turn around, covering himself with a proper attire.

Judar rolled his eyes, tapping his foot impatiently. “It’s not like you would have a love life with that stuck-up attitude of yours! Also now, answer me! It’s like every time I try to make this work you do something shitty, but when I fuck up, you blame me for it. Can you decide what you want now?!”

Hakuryuu sat on his bed, looking at Judar’s back. “Listen. Yes, I wanted you to get manners but— since when do you do what I want? You’re supposed to be angry at me, I didn’t even apologize that I treated you … _shitty_. But I am sorry.”

“Wow, please return to being an ass, it’s so weird when you say such things.” The magi laughed, smirking at Hakuryuu. “So you neither want me to behave nice and all, but you also don’t want me to avoid you. What then?”

“Come here.” Hakuryuu patted the space next to him, inviting Judar to sit down. Judar looked confused at first, but followed suit.

“Judar, we are engaged now, I shouldn’t take my frustration about the situation out on you. If you want, let’s start anew. Also, I don’t really mind it anymore, us being engaged I mean.” It felt good to say it, no matter how embarrassing it was.

"Oh? You don't mind getting married to some _barbaric foreigner_ anymore? Hard to believe, and what was wrong with me yesterday?" Judar tilted his head slightly, a bit amused.

Hakuryuu had hoped the other wouldn't question him anymore. It was hard for him to even admit— then he realized something.

"I didn't… say it like that. Ever. In fact, yeah I did believe and expected you to be _uncultured_ , but if I'm completely honest, I think I kind of blamed every outsider for the death of my father, and for my _fate_. That I'm locked up here, just like you are now too." Judar opened his mouth to say something, but Hakuryuu wasn't done yet. "Yes, I wish I could do something else, to just live the life I wanted. I gave up in the end, since there was no way. Seeing you there yesterday, smiling and accepting into this without fighting back anymore— it hurt me to see you give up. Since you always fought for your beliefs, I couldn't stand this. And that I had been the one who forced you into this role to begin with."

There was a long silence, as Judar's smile changed into a thoughtful frown, and Hakuryuu avoided his gaze completely.

"Ryuu, I— fuck! Look, I'm not good at this shit, you know? Your mother called me that, but I thought you may be a little different. I heard you talk to her, to send me away! Don't fucking ask me how I felt, I don't even know! That guy— I don't know what I was thinking. I was—"

"Alone," Hakuryuu finished, now looking up at him. "I knew you were. I knew how you felt, that I hurt you and that you were right. But I wasn't able to say anything. I guess I'm a bad person, after all. I tried to bring you food, to help you up somehow, but in the end, I did nothing. I mean it's so strange, how some of these people yesterday secretly looked down on you. Or how my mother badmouthed you, when I should be the one not worthy of you asking me to come to a dungeon, or being your fiancé."

Judar looked confused, then laughed a bit. "Ryuu, I told you not to be so dramatic! Don't you think I know you by now? Don't beat yourself down because you made a single mistake, and who knows, guess I'm not that easy to get along with either." He reached out for Hakuryuu's hand, but hesitated.

"It's ok." It was the prince who took his hand now, intertwining their fingers. "I'm glad I could tell you, after all. A lot of what I said was wrong. You're a fun person to be around, so I want to spend time with you. And I don't mind you touching me. I don't mind you doing anything you want to, in fact. Do you understand?"

Judar hardened his grip on Hakuryuu's hand, probably making it hurt. "Become my king!" he said, excitedly.

"What?"

"I like you! You're strong, stronger than anyone. Let's go together, what can stop us?! You said it yourself, I can do what I want, and I want _this_. Don't tell me shit, you didn't give up on it! So, what do you say?!"

Hakuryuu's eyes widened. "Judar, wait. I meant more like 'be yourself', or something. I still can't go dungeon conquering with you. And what's up with you saying I'm strong? Sure, I can do magoi manipulation, but compared to Kouen, or Hakuyuu, I'm—"

"That's not what I meant. I mean, you said I didn't have what it takes to properly choose a king—"

"I didn't mean that—"

"Ryuu, let me finish! You were indeed wrong about a few things, but this was your worst assumption. I do know. Of course, you have the looks! To rule over others, it's important. And you can fight! But what makes you better than anyone else here, is your determination. You never gave up under these conditions, when everyone criticises what you do. Fuck, you told me _I_ fought back?! Then what were you doing all this time?" Judar made a pause, sighing. "It takes a lot to admit your own flaws, and to say when you fucked up, but you did. You may think you're not worthy of my attention, but everything inside me is screaming to choose you! Above anyone! If that makes me a shitty magi, I don't care. I loved the anger inside you when we met, I loved your fighting spirit during our battle, and I love how you think I wouldn't recognize that you want me to ask again and again, until I find a way you can choose what you already decided to do so long ago."

Hakuryuu fell silent, turning his head away. His body was shaking slightly, and Judar knew he was crying. Tears ran down his face, but he still tried to hide the obvious from the other.

"I'm sorry, I'm—"

Judar stood up, their hands still intertwined, watching him struggle to form any words. "Want me to hug you?" he joked, smiling slightly.

Both of them laughed for a bit, the situation was so strange, ridiculous even. How Hakuryuu sat there, crying, because Judar's words had touched him deeply. And how it made Judar more and more sure that he made the right decision. He would never choose another king.

Hakuryuu sniffed, wiping away his tears. "Why are you calling me that? Ryuu, I mean."

"Don't know. Maybe it's because there's so many people with almost the same name," Judar shrugged, then turned on his heels to leave "Don't worry, I can still call you Hakuryuu in the bedroom~! Since you said I could touch you now." He winked at the other, grinning.

"Hey, I didn't mean—"

"Kidding, kidding. I gotta go now, having a boring meeting with Koupon or something," Judar didn't want to go to that, and it was pretty clear on his face. "Guess I’ll see you later?"

Hakuryuu nodded. "Yes. Do you want to meet? I'm free today."

"Right, as if you had anything to do! I have an idea, I'll show you around the city, since you don't go out a lot. Wear something subtle, yeah?" As he said that, Judar left, leaving Hakuryuu behind with his own thoughts.

But. "Wait, who is Koupon?"

_____________

Later that evening, Hakuryuu and Judar met at the gates. Neither really resembling royalty or nobility, they blended in the ordinary masses of the city quite easily.

“So, what was the meeting about?” Hakuryuu tried to strike up some conversation.

“Do you think I wanna talk about that? Way to be a mood killer”, Judar grimaced at him, but he was purely joking about it.

“What exactly are you in the mood for then?” Hakuryuu asked, just a bit amused. There were some things that you could expect from Judar at this point, and avoiding any topics involving responsibilities was definitely one of them.

“Food! I bet your royal ass has never tried the street food around here but let me tell you, it’s really tasty”, Judar announced and grabbed Hakuryuu by the arm to pull him to the many stands filling the market streets.

“Can’t say that I have tried them…” Hakuryuu admitted, inspecting the wide variety of all kinds of treats filling his field of vision. He was thinking about ordering something, but then Judar started filling a plate for him with a little bit of everything.

“Come on, you’ve got to try them.”

Hakuryuu accepted the offered plate with no protests.

With the food in hand, they walked zig-zag across the town and the nearby streets, past tea houses and theatres and stores and crafts people's workshops. There were lit lanterns advertising pretty much anything one could look for — it wasn’t for nothing that Rakushou was known as the capital of the east. There were also many foreign establishments giving any curious individual a taste of the food, music, smells and decorations from strange lands. Not that Hakuryuu had ever visited any of such places; it was needless to say that he hadn’t really held anything foreign in a high regard. Until maybe now…

Quickly they had made their way to the nearby river. Its sides were decorated with beautiful, large trees, and there was fencing protecting the stream’s tranquility from anyone who wished to go into it to disturb it. Judar sat on the fence, back to the river, biting into his snack. Hakuryuu, on the other hand, stood there looking at the river.

“It’s so peaceful”, he commented, and Judar glanced behind himself. A single, lonely boat slid past them, but the only sound that could be heard were the waves.

“I suppose so”, Judar simply said.

“Did you have a river like this in your home village?” Hakuryuu asked, but Judar shook his head.

“It’s way further inland, the closest river is hours away.”

Hakuryuu hmm’d. “We used to swim a lot in a river as children… There is this good spot with a beach and the water gets very warm during the summer heat.”

A nostalgia-filled, small but warm smile had crept on Hakuryuu’s face without him even noticing it. Judar did notice, however. He was looking at Hakuryuu, after all.

“I take it you haven’t really gone there in a long time”, Judar asked, but it came off more as a statement of fact.

“With everyone grown up now and so focused on war, I don’t think anyone has really had the time or energy to even consider just… letting it all go for a moment just to have some fun”, Hakuryuu admitted. Judar reacted by nodding.

“Of course, of course. Because you’re all way too serious and generally like to suck the fun out of every room you step in”, he said casually, and Hakuryuu snorted.

“No, for real though. I think that you should all take a leaf out of _my_ book”, Judar grinned.

“I have a feeling the Empire would collapse if we all took your careless attitude.”

“But it would be more _fun_ , now wouldn’t it?”

Hakuryuu rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Then he turned his back on the river as well and sat next to Judar on the fence.

“Maybe we should go there then? On that beach. And you could teach me how to have fun again”, Hakuryuu suggested amusedly.

“By fun, don’t you mean you just want to see me there with very little clothing?”

“Judar…” Hakuryuu said slowly, but Judar laughed and pushed him on the shoulder with his hand.

“Who knew Kou Empire’s youngest prince was so scandalous?!”

“I swear, this is the exact reason why my mother doesn’t like you”, Hakuryuu sighed.

“Yes, she could never bear the thought of her baby boy growing up!”

“And how do you think your own mother would be if she were here to hear you speak like this?”

“That’s a topic I can’t really comment much on.”

Judar’s tone wasn’t hurt or bothered, but Hakuryuu still wondered if he was crossing the line.

“You’re not offended by these type of questions?”

At some point, without Hakuryuu noticing, Judar had moved closer to him. Or maybe he had moved closer to Judar, he really didn’t know. But now, Judar was close enough to bump his shoulder with his own a bit playfully. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Truly?”

“I have grown desensitized to this stuff a long time ago. No question or orphan joke can phase me anymore”, Judar said, very proud of himself.

“You know, that sounds kind of depressing…”

“No way, that’s the opposite of the mood I was trying to cultivate here just a moment ago!” Judar faked being outraged, and Hakuryuu couldn’t help but to laugh at it just a little bit. At the sound of it, Judar relaxed his posture where he was sitting and smiled too.

Now, Hakuryuu wasn’t sure which one of them had moved, but he did know that they were sitting really, really close to each other. As soon as he turned to look Judar in the eyes, it was like both of them got stuck in that gaze. In his chest, Hakuryuu could feel like a string getting pulled, and the feeling in his stomach reminded him of falling. He wondered if Judar felt the sudden urge to touch him as well. He wasn’t making any distance to Hakuryuu at the very least — it really seemed like he had been struck with that same spell.

In the end, the two of them couldn’t stay downtown too late: as much as Judar hated it, there were yet more meetings and responsibilities for them to fill the following day. In fact, in that moment Hakuryuu kind of hated it too. But if Judar was to stay there, he had to learn into it.

Though now that Hakuryuu thought of it, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t learn to wind down himself in exchange.

_______________

Hakuryuu once again found himself sitting in a conference meeting as Koutoku found out about Gyokuen’s plan to forge an alliance with Sindria, preventing a war despite the emperor’s plan to make the world submit to the Kou Empire. His mother said Kouen knew about it, but she hadn’t mentioned that his uncle didn’t.

They both didn’t get along very well, to say they had a cold distant relationship would be an understatement. Arguing every time they met, mostly over Hakuryuu’s future, and Koutoku’s harsh war strategies. That was what can happen with political marriages, Hakuryuu thought, and he was glad he at least wouldn’t end up like this now that he and Judar got along quite well. Speaking of him, Judar was invited to be here as well. And knowing his uncle, that didn’t mean anything good.

The tension in the room was quite heavy, Judar leaned on the table with both arms, seemingly bored. Kouha grinned at the magi, sitting opposite to him. He must have thought the same, or it was some kind of an inside joke, Hakuryuu didn’t know.

“Sit straight, Magi,” Koumei instructed, giving them both a sharp glance.

Judar yawned. “Yeah, whatever. We’ve been sitting here since fucking forever, I will fall asleep if the fat man doesn’t show up soon!”

“I understand you have a high position here, but hold your tongue! Bad-mouthing the emperor is a crime, you should know as much.” The second prince sat himself, still eyeing the magi as he did. “Hakuryuu won’t approve of such behaviour either.”

“Pfft, Hakuryuu said I could do as I please, ask him yourself.”

Hakuryuu laughed. “At least you have the ability to turn anything the way you want to see it? I should be careful what I’m saying now.”

Judar sat up now, focusing his attention on the prince. “You think all day of what you should say or not, like all of the others. You lame-ass.” His tone made it pretty obvious he was joking, and Koumei was quite puzzled at the scene before him. Hakuryuu would never laugh or joke before such a meeting, and Judar was behaving rather weirdly. He decided to ask them later, once this was over.

A few more minutes passed, then the emperor finally arrived, a pile of advisors in tow, Hakuren and Hakuyuu followed him as well. As expected, he was in a bad mood, and even Judar’s expression turned serious.

“I gathered you here because of my wife’s,” he paused for a moment, nodding towards Koumei, who had apparently told him about the current events, “decision to cooperate with King Sinbad. I don’t know what she wants to accomplish with any of this, but it doesn’t change our plans to conquer the dungeons I selected for my people. Because of this, the magi will be under my command, and we’ll start soon.”

Judar looked at Hakuryuu, then at the emperor. He didn’t know if he shouldn’t speak up but—

_“It hurt me to see you give up”_

He had to. “No, I won’t,” he said, his voice calm. “As a magi, I choose who will be king, I will give them power, and thus far, shape the world as I think is best and necessary. I won’t follow your plan, doing what others tell me to do will never get me to where _I_ want to be.” Judar never once looked away from the emperor, choosing his words carefully this time. “I’ve made my decision, I’ll take Hakuryuu to a dungeon.”

Most people stared at Hakuryuu now, Koutoku slamming his hand on the table, focusing their attention back at him. “How dare you?! After everything this country did for you, you just decide to reject my decisions? My nephew isn’t suited for having a magi, and if you think you can do what you want, you’re useless for us!”

Judar folded his arms, narrowing his eyes. “I don’t fucking care! And how is Hakuryuu useless, but good enough to marry me? There are many people suited for conquering dungeons, but I’ll see for myself who and when I will do anything.”

Hakuren cornered the table silently, placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Are you sure about this? Hakuryuu is—”

“I want to go.” As he spoke up, Hakuryuu focused his attention on everyone, not just Koutoku. “Judar chose me, and I trust him with my life. You selected us to be something else, but if we want to change the world into a direction where everyone lives in peace and freedom, you can’t build it onto something like this. The first emperor— my father, he believed that the world could be unified into one nation, and with the sacrifice of individuality we could achieve happiness, because people would all share the same dream. But we aren’t all the same, everyone has their own goals. Give us a chance to find a way to change things without having the countries gather as many djinns as they can and then fight to death.”

The emperor stood, sighing. “We will discuss this once Kouen gets back. Think about what you said, both of you. I won’t tolerate you talking like that!” Koumei bowed hastily to the table’s attendants, then followed him.

As soon as he left, Hakuryuu breathed out. His heart beat fast from excitement, but overall, he felt relieved.

“May I speak with you?” Hakuyuu, who had stayed silent during the whole conference, waved Hakuryuu to come over where he sat. “The meeting is over, you have permission to leave now,” he said to the others, who nodded, and started to leave them to their privacy. Judar looked back, wanting to stay and listen to their talk.

Hakuryuu gulped. He had probably disappointed his brothers, who fought hard to gain his uncle’s respect in the past.

“Your mind has changed a lot since we spoke last. May I ask what is different now?” Hakuyuu was calm, but it was clear he hadn’t expected such an outcome from today.

“I have... thought a lot. I want to serve Kou, the best way I can, but I never actually believed in our father’s goals. I think such a thing is not possible, a completely unified world. I’m sorry that I disappointed you.” He bowed his head, not wanting to see Hakuyuu looking at him like that.

“That’s not what I mean. I’m talking about Judar, I’m impressed you stood up for him, but you should also be aware that he might leave anyway, since the pact with Sindria will make it unnecessary for you to marry. I expected you to be relieved, even delighted, that your union won’t take place. But then I saw him declaring you as his king, and you agreed. Truthfully, Koutoku suspected you were behind all of this, that you sent our mother to prevent the marriage.”

“Judar didn’t say anything he will only take _me_ to a dungeon, I’m sure he will choose you as well! Kouen will soon be crowned emperor, he will secure Kou’s safety, as well as you. All I can say is that I was wrong about Judar, I think he is someone this country desperately needs. And I want him to stay, even if we won’t be engaged anymore in the future.” Hakuryuu closed his eyes, expecting harsh words to hit him. Instead, he felt a hand ruffling through his hair, and looked up.

His brother was smiling softly. “When did you become so grown up? I’m really proud of you, I hope you know that.”

Hakuryuu didn’t understand, but he nodded. “...yes.”

________________

As he walked outside, Judar was still waiting for him, leaning against a nearby wall. “So, you would trust me with your life? How sweet of you~”

Hakuryuu blushed slightly at his words. “Shut up, if you didn’t bring yourself in such situations, defending you wouldn’t be necessary in the first place! How could you just declare me your king in front of everyone?”

The magi grinned, stepping towards him. “I didn’t exactly see you complaining, and now you can’t step back from your word anymore!” He dodged a half-hearted slap on his arm easily. “You really were impressive, big words and all. My sweet fiancè, what a king you are!” Judar laughed happily, beginning to walk back to the gardens. Hakuryuu followed closely behind. “Hey, don’t talk like that! What will people think if they hear you talk like that?!”

“Hm, maybe that we have a good relationship~? Or maybe, they think I’m so submissive to you, bathing you in compliments all day and night!”

Hakuryuu tried to shut Judar up by holding his mouth closed. “Shut up, can I take back my word on going with you? You’re so— Ah, you spit on my hand, how dare you?” He made a grossed out face, wiping his digits on Judar’s clothes.

“Wow, hey! These are expensive, did you forget?!” Judar screeched, running away from Hakuryuu, who ran after him.

Hakuyuu observed the scene with amusement as Kouha greeted him, waving a hand.

“What are you smiling at? The meeting was so weird,” he stated, scratching his head. “Brother Mei will be complaining all day about the extra work now.”

Hakuyuu shook his head. “It’s nothing. But it seems trust isn’t the only thing between my brother and Judar, he may just not know it yet… Let’s go for now, Kouen will want to know what happened, I’ll tell him myself.”

Kouha stood there, dumbfounded. “What do you mean? Heyyy, Hakuyuu, what do you mean?!!?”

_____________

A few days passed. In the upcoming afternoon, Hakuryuu was searching for Judar, again. He shouldn’t be doing this, since the other often joked about and commented on him seeking the magi’s company in the past few days.

He hated to admit it, but it was true. Hakuryuu found himself looking forward to meeting him, and even made excuses such as asking blantant questions, or taking a walk through the hallways, accidentally passing where Judar tended to nap or spent his time training. He didn’t know why, it was rather frustrating how weak his attempts were to hide anything he did before the magi.

So, he ended up not trying anymore. What was wrong about him visiting Judar? He didn’t need excuses, they were friends now.

Hakuryuu passed a corner, meeting Kouha, who grinned at him. “Oh? On your way to meeting Juju again? Can’t you wait for your wedding?”

“I don’t know what you try to imply, but we—” Just as he said something, the prince saw Judar, running past Kouha as fast as he could.  
“Ryuu, I’m gonna throw up! What’s up with that bitch, trying to kill me?” The magi held his mouth shut, indeed looking a bit nauseous. He wanted to question about what he meant, as he spotted Hakuei’s “wedding gift” in his hand, carefully wrapped in a nice package.

He should have warned Judar, but forgot to do so. “My sister meant well with it, she’s happy for you.”

“Yeah, how lucky I am, eating crappy food!” Judar rolled his eyes, then stared at Kouha. “This son of a bitch laughed at me, can you believe? Ryuu, I feel so sick!”

“And you say I am the drama queen here.” Despite the comment, Hakuryuu hurried to his side, taking the package. “You should probably try to get the taste out of your mouth. How many of those did you eat?”

Kouha wiggled his eyebrows. “Judar might have some idea how to do that. Am I right?”

Said one glanced at him angrily. “Shut up, or I’ll make you regret being alive!”

“Stop arguing. Come on, Judar, follow me.” Hakuryuu didn’t bother to ask what was on Kouha’s mind today. He had some weird ideas, and loved getting on people’s nerves out of fun. Maybe that’s why he got along with Judar so well. They often met to hang out, mostly to bother Koumei, who wasn’t really amused when he got disturbed from his work. Or the countless naps.

Judar followed behind without a word, placing a hand on his stomach. “Hey, where are we going? Medical stuff is that way.” He pointed towards the right corridor, as Hakuryuu turned the other direction.

“Hakuei’s food has a rather strong taste and can make you feel sick, but you won’t need any medical treatment for it. It helps to eat something to counter the sweetness from it, you’ll feel better soon, trust me.”

Judar laughed slightly. “I trust you with my life~”

“God, are you ever going to let that go?” Reaching his destination, Hakuryuu knocked on a door that the magi had never seen before. Why would he need to go to the palace kitchens? They probably would have thrown him out anyway, as only permitted people were allowed inside.

“Never!”

Hakuryuu rolled his eyes, as one of the chefs opened up. “Oh, Your Highness. What’s bringing you here today?” He bowed deeply, with genuine respect.

“I wanted to ask permission to use your kitchen for a while, if you don’t mind. Please continue if you have any work to do here.” Judar found himself in awe at how serious and professional Hakuryuu could be. He let go of that around him completely, almost as if forgetting his manners. Gyokuen would be pleased to see what a great influence Judar was, he thought, slightly amused.

The man nodded. “Yes, of course! I’ll leave you alone for now, please use whatever you need.” He hurried out of the room, bowing again.

“Do you know that guy? He didn’t seem surprised a high royal would want to steal food here,” Judar leaned on a counter, searching for fruits.

“It’s not that unusual. I’m only the sixth prince, so not as high-noble as you say. Sometimes I come here to cook dinner, my sister taught me a lot. If I were to ever get married, I would be able to prepare food for them.” Hakuryuu searched through the shelves. “I wouldn’t eat any fruit, that’ll make it worse. You need bitter-tasting foods now.”

“What the fuck, Ryuu! I hate bitter foods, and did you even listen?! That hag— eh your sister, taught you? No, thanks! Let me eat some peaches and lay down. It’ll pass eventually.”

Hakuryuu snatched the fruit from his hand in a swift motion. “What happened to you praising me as your king? You should listen to me. Now sit down, I’ll get something ready soon.”

“Back to ordering me around, huh? Kinky”, Judar chuckled, sitting down on one of the countertops and watching Hakuryuu doing his work.

“I’m gonna ignore that,” the prince said, focusing on what to make.

After a few minutes, Hakuryuu called him again. Judar had closed his eyes to relax for a bit, almost falling asleep.

“Here,” Hakuryuu said, reaching a plate towards him. “It’s a simple omelette with spinach, so it shouldn’t be too bitter. I’ll join you and eat some, if you don’t mind.”

Judar nodded, sniffing the food. “I don’t mind… Fuck, I’m so hungry! Haven’t eaten today.”

“Why not? You should take more care of yourself. I don’t know why you’re so careless sometimes.” Hakuryuu took a bite from his own plate, leaning on the counter Judar was sitting on.

“Dunno, I forgot,” He ate almost everything at once, seemingly delighted at the taste. “God, that’s good! No wonder you invited me to eat so many times. The spinach is still gross, don’t put them in next time!”

Hakuryuu raised an eyebrow, a slight smile on his face. “What makes you think there’s gonna be a next time to this? You can order whatever you want from the servants. Not like you’re gonna starve without me.”  
Judar laughed. “I only wanna order you around, that’s why. It’s fun, and your food tastes way better. If anything, I’ll just have to eat that weird-ass tasting stuff from before, works like a charm.”

“If you do that, I’ll simply tell you that it’s your own fault,” Hakuryuu paused, putting his fork down. “Seriously Judar, can I ask you something? If our engagement will get erased soon, what will you do? You’ll take me to a dungeon, but where will you—”

“Judar! I searched everywhere, then some servants told me you were here with my brother. I heard you felt sick, I was worried! How can you—?” As Hakuei realized both Judar and Hakuryuu had been in a conversation, she stopped her apology, taking in the scene. “Oh, did I disturb your _date_?”

That moment, Judar almost choked on his last bite of food, coughing heavily. “What the heck, we don’t have a — whatever you said. That’s ridiculous!”

“Is it now? I come here, and you’re both alone, eating omelettes on a kitchen counter in the middle of the night. I don’t know, but for all I know that’s a date.” Hakuei smiled at him, then at Hakuryuu, who looked startled.

A… date, with Judar? Did she think they were—?

“Anyway, I’m glad you’re alright now Judar. Sorry for disturbing.” She left again, leaving the room in silence.

Hakuryuu didn’t know what to say. Since when did his sister think he was in love with Judar? He couldn’t be, he would have noticed, it was indeed _ridiculous_. The magi flirted with him, yes, but he did it for fun, joking around like always. And, yes, he did spend a lot of time with him, but that’s because they were king and magi now, right? It was only natural, but now Hakuryuu couldn’t say what he wanted before. If he now asked for Judar to stay here, with him, living in Rakushou if Sindria agreed on a alliance, the other would think he was—

Hakuryuu could swear someone could hear his heart beating, would Judar be saying he would never consider him for such a relationship? That he wasn’t like the man he had brought to his room, or maybe he already had someone but kept it less obvious before others? He didn’t even know what he wanted to hear.

The magi noticed Hakuryuu staring at his plate, waiting if he would continue with their earlier conversation. Was he thinking about what Hakuei said?

“I should get going to bed now. See you tomorrow, thanks for the food.”

Hakuryuu simply nodded, freeing his gaze from the point he had been fixated on. “Good night,” he said, almost distant. It was weird, they didn’t behave like this, they never had.

______________

On the way to the bedchambers, Hakuryuu remembered something. He stopped in his tracks, thinking about it. It was a small detail, and he hadn’t questioned it before, but after what Hakuei said…

The prince turned around, deciding he needed to ask Kouha about his comment earlier. Their rooms weren’t exactly far away from another, it took him barely a few minutes to reach it, impatiently knocking on his cousin’s door. He was hoping Kouha didn’t have any visitors: he needed to ask him about Judar.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming. Don’t break my door,” Kouha whined from the other side, opening the door and surprised to find Hakuryuu waiting. Hakuryuu walked past him into the way-too-huge-bedroom. But this was just how Kouha was.

“Wow, you almost have the same bad manners as Judar now. You two spend way too much time together if you ask me.” He made a dramatic sigh, mimicking Hakuryuu’s voice now. _”Hello Kouha, how are you? May I enter your room? Oh how sweet of you, thank you!”_

“Why did you say that earlier? About me and Judar”, Hakuryuu asked, without listening to Kouha being dramatic.

“Hakuryuu, did you forget I am the fifth prince of the Kou Empire? I have many duties, and lots of work to do. I’m not just spending my time lazing around. So after a long day, I come here to sleep, exhausted, and then you invade my room only to ask me about some lame joke I made today?” The redhead rubbed his eyes, yawning. Had he already been sleeping?

“I’m sorry, really. It bothered me that you made such a comment, and then my sister— ah, I’ll tell you tomorrow.” Hakuryuu bowed to leave when Kouha grabbed his shoulders, giggling.

“Did you believe that?! I don’t care if you woke me up, let me hear the gossip! What did she say?” Kouha looked excited, for whatever reason.

Hakuryuu hesitated to tell him, but he had already disturbed his sleep for this. “Hakuei asked if I and Judar had a… date. And earlier you seemed to tease him about such a thing. I mean, I’m confused—”

Kouha burst out laughing, holding his stomach. “God, Hakuryuu! You’re so obvious, of course Judar is in love with you. Of course we all joke about it now, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed, he is all touchy-touchy with you, being like ’Oh, Ryuu. You’re so cool here and there.”

“Is that all, you assuming he might like me? He has always been like this, I mean, at least since he offered to take me to a dungeon.” Hakuryuu felt like he made a mistake in asking his cousin if he knew anything, why did he come here in the first place?

Kouha raised his eyebrows. “Do you remember at your engagement festival? I mean he was behaving so differently, just to impress you. He claimed you his king in front of the whole palace court, telling my father to fuck off. That was so great!! And, oh my god, when you’re not around, don’t get me started on that!”

Hakuryuu bit his lip. Damn, he was curious now. What Kouha said even made some sense, but he simply couldn’t imagine Judar doing all of this because he had any romantic feelings for him. “... what does he say?”

“Curious now~? But guess what, I am too! If you wanna know, then tell me! You like him, right?” Kouha was smarter than people gave him credit for, of course he would ask him that.

“We’re engaged, it doesn’t matter if I like him or not, this is strictly political. I’m just asking because—”

“Because you can’t sleep at the thought of your dear magi having a thing for you, or that your sister knew anything about it. And because you don’t know why you even bother, but you think about him a lot, right? Guess who told me you had some hidden feelings for Ju? Hakuyuu did, and who knows you better than him? Don’t tell him I gave you this information, by the way.” Kouha yawned again, he really was tired. “Don’t answer me if you don’t wanna, I’ll sleep now anyway. It’s really cute that you basically told father his whole world-union agenda was a bad idea, but then you aren’t brave enough to ask Judar about such a simple thing. That says it all to me.”

______________

As Hakuryuu closed the door, he stood there for a while, in the empty hallway. He couldn’t answer Kouha about his feelings, why was he so confused about it? Judar and he had gotten so close, without him noticing. He hated the magi at first, but in fact, he didn’t even hate him as a person, and then he found himself worried, then sympathizing, caring, laughing with him, and crying. It felt like such a swift transition, and he never really questioned what he and Judar were at the moment, because they didn’t really need to know.

And now Hakuyuu had said such a thing. Was it because he had changed so much? Hakuryuu couldn’t deny that was true, but he felt like his character had developed in a much better direction thanks to Judar, despite picking up a few of his bad antics. Or maybe he had always been like this, but didn’t show anyone before.

He wanted to believe that if Judar was thinking about him now, he would hold similar feelings. That he didn’t think of being a slave in the palace anymore, and that Hakuryuu also may have had some kind of good impact on his life. Who cares if he loved him, as long as he could have that thought?

Maybe everyone thought there was something more between them, Hakuryuu didn’t mind. He made Judar a promise to be his king. And once they were married, he would promise to protect him from all sadness as long as they lived. Even without their engagement, he wanted to do that. Without their engagement, he would still offer Judar to stay here. As Hakuryuu made his way back to his room, he decided he would ask him tomorrow. Damn, he really was obvious.


	4. Chapter 4

Finding Judar wasn’t a hard task. Usually he would hang out in the gardens, or practice magic. As much as people thought he was lazy because he was such a carefree person, he took his duties quite seriously. Not only that, but he also enjoyed being that powerful now, and the recognition that came with it. People vowed and praised him, calling him “high priest” or “lord magi”. Judar never had anyone behave that way towards him, and he enjoyed it as much as he could. 

He still didn’t care about other people’s opinions on what he did, at least not the ones he didn’t like. Kouha and Kougyoku enjoyed being around him, just like Hakuryuu did. When they commented on something Judar could do or change, he would shrug it off. The next day, however, he’d do it, or wear whatever Kouen mentioned would suit him, denying he did it because of the others. 

As for now, Judar sat right at the spot where Hakuryuu had first spoken to him after their introduction. They often met there to have lunch, whenever their schedule would allow it. After Hakuryuu’s unexpected confrontation at the council meeting, Koutoku drowned him in work, as if to punish him somehow.

“Judar,” he called out, the other seemingly deep into doing something. “What are you doing here?”

The magi tried hiding whatever he had been focusing on, but it was already too late. “Writing. I mean, I try. Hakuren tried to teach me, he should’ve known I suck at such things.”

“Show me what you have,” Hakuryuu instruced, reaching a hand out for the small book. 

“Hell no, never!” Judar sat on top of it, crossing his arms. “I don’t need to be any good. You said I should at least be able to read, you can’t scold me now for not doing anything! Also, I should be able to sign our marriage papers, right?”

“You sound like you’re looking forward to it now,” Hakuryuu smiled at the thought of Judar trying to write his name as neatly as possible. “You know, my siblings, some of them are assuming we might even approve of the marriage now. I mean my sister, you heard her. Does it bother you that people think there's something between us?”

He hadn’t really planned on asking Judar so bluntly, but after Kouha pointed out how he dodged anything in that matter, he wanted to know. 

“Why the fuck would it bother me?” The magi laughed at Hakuyruu’s serious expression. “What if I _was_ in love with you? Don’t get me wrong, I chose you as my king for different reasons, but I’m impressed that someone as smart of you didn’t notice.”

Did Judar just declare he was in love with him like it was nothing? But—

“Since when? I don’t understand…” 

Judar turned away, avoiding his gaze. “After I heard you talk with your mother about sending me away. I was so angry at myself, because you behaved like an ass, but I still thought about how I could make you want me to stay! And then you were so nice to me— I don’t know, I’m shit at being romantic and such, but you know, I’m serious!”

Hakuryuu didn’t expect to hear these things. Judar had isolated himself from him for a long time, until their engagement was announced. It was true, the magi had tried to impress him on that day, but he had thought it was because of him not wanting to have any more arguments. 

“Wait, you said you hated me just a few days later!” 

Judar laughed again, playing with one of the bright red flowers on the ground. “Of course, and I still do! I know shit about love, but you know, you could order me to raise five thousand dungeons, and I’d do it. And you could say you think the thought of me wanting you grosses you out, that you don’t want to talk to me again, and I wouldn’t know what to do, can you believe that?! I can’t force you to like me, no matter how freaking strong I become, so I’ll probably always hate you, you know?”

“Only you would say that having such feelings is a bad thing. But I have to say, I feel quite honored to hold such power over you~,” Hakuryuu smiled to himself, Judar always claimed he was bad at expressing what he felt, but the prince thought he always found the right words, after all. 

“Judar, I don’t know if I can give you the answer you want to hear today. I feel the same about you, I don’t know what it’s called. But about me sending you away… yesterday I wanted to ask you to stay here, even when my mother wants you to go, or Koutoku retracts our engagement. I want to figure out if the others are right, if you don’t mind.” Hakuryuu let his fingers slide through Judar’s hair, his braid touching the grass. Nobody was allowed to do so, and now he knew why Judar gave him privileges the others didn’t have. 

The magi caught his hand, shifting closer to him. “Are you sure? I can see the rukh around you fluttering in excitement, is me being near you enough to give you such a reaction?” As he spoke, Judar placed the palm of his other hand on Hakuryuu’s heart, smiling as he felt it beat fast, in contrast to the prince’s calm voice. 

“I think you’re lying, Ryuu. Come on, tell me! A king should know what to—” Judar’s eyes widened as Hakuryuu held his neck, pulling him forward in a kiss. He didn’t know how to react, of course he had been kissed before, but this was happening so fast! 

It took him a moment to realize that this was Hakuryuu’s way of confessing his feelings, that he would stay on Judar’s side. The magi felt delighted, as he grabbed Hakuryuu’s shoulders, holding him there. 

They stayed like this for a while, their lips moving together, both of them enjoying their new-found closeness. Judar then shifted slightly, planting a small kiss on Hakuryuu’s jawline. “I’m quite impressed, my king. I thought you had no romantic feelings for me~.”

“Shut up, Judar. I like it better when you kiss me instead of talking.” Hakuryuu leaned forward slightly, letting their foreheads touch. Judar smirked. 

“Oh, I can do that! Your wish is my command.” He let himself fall on top of his king, hovering over him now. “I’m like a really talkative person, you know?”

Hakuryuu repeated his earlier motion, grabbing for Judar and pulling him down slightly. “I can live with that,” he said, as they kissed again.

Suddenly they heard a cough, and straightened back up, trying to pretend nothing had happened to whoever walked by. It was Hakuren, who was accompanied by Koumei, both of them staring at the two. There was no denying they had seen at least some of what happened.

Judar had forgotten they were in the middle of the gardens, everyone walking by could see them here. He wiped some of the dirt from his clothes, completely calm.

“Don’t fucking sneak up on us like that! That’s rude as shit! Now leave, I have important stuff to discuss with my king!”

Hakuren raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I can see that. We need to speak to my brother, if he has a minute. You can have him back later then.” He gave a knowing smirk to Hakuryuu, who turned bright red. 

“Hey, we just… I mean, yes, I’ll go with you. Later then, Judar.” Hakuryuu wanted nothing more than to escape the upcoming conversation with his siblings, as it promised to be highly embarrassing for him. 

That, and he wanted to go back to kissing Judar again, and to properly confess his feelings this time. He had fallen in love, and he knew that.

______________

“Fuck these bastards,” Judar cursed, brushing his hair before bed. Of course, he hadn’t seen Hakuryuu for the rest of the day. “So much for _’ohhh we’re lending him out for a minute, you can have him back soon’_. These people, every time I have some fun…!”

There was a knock on the door, and he thought about pretending to sleep, he wasn’t in the mood for visitors now. But the noise continued for a while, so he got up, pretty angry about the disturbance. 

Opening up fast, he groaned. “Get lost and annoy somebody else, I wanna— Oh, Ryuu! It’s you… sorry.” Hakuryuu didn’t answer, and both of them just stared at each other for some time. 

In the blink of an eye, Judar found himself cornered against a wall, Hakuryuu almost attacking him, kissing with such passion it made his head spin. When had he closed the door? Why was he here?

It didn’t matter, Hakuryuu came to see him, and that was exactly what he wanted. “I missed you,” Judar whispered, moaning at the feeling of the other kissing his neck, his hands wandering over his body. 

He felt Hakuryuu smiling against his skin, mimicking Judar by grabbing onto his torso, moving his hips forward. Why was he suddenly so—?

Judar’s body shivered, as he ran a hand through his lover’s hair. “Ahh~! Are you trying to seduce me, Ryuu? Shouldn’t we wait for our wedding night?” 

The other stopped his movements now, looking up. “We aren’t engaged anymore,” he said, sighing. “I know you said you wanted to, now, but it was me who broke it off.”

“But why did you do that?” Judar looked sad, and hurt. “Did you come here to tell me now?”

“I am in love with you, Judar. And I want to, when we are back from having adventures. I want to be able to ask you out, having official dates, making you expensive gifts you don’t really need. Then, one day, I would propose to you properly, hoping you would say yes. Is that alright with you?” 

“...yes”, Judar whispered, unable to think straight due to various reasons. Hakuryuu loved him. Trusted him, and a few simple kisses had set him on fire, making him approach Judar in the middle of the night just to do it again. Well, he didn’t mind that. Who would have thought the arrival of a small campaign led by the Kou Empire in his village would fulfill all of his dreams in the end. It felt like a nightmare turned into a sweet dream, the kind you never wanted to wake up from.

Hakuryuu smirked. “At a loss of words now? That’s not like you.”

“Shut up, you idiot! Don’t think I’ll be like— ahh! Fuck!” Judar almost screamed as the prince continued his earlier movements, making their crotches touch through the fabric of their clothes. The friction alone made his breath hitch, and he could feel Hakuryuu had gotten aroused from their previous making-out. 

“You want me to stop?” 

Judar thought the question was serious at first, until he saw Hakuryuu smirking slightly, knowing the other wouldn’t want that. Bastard. “Don’t you dare. You started this mess!” 

Hakuryuu did what he was told, panting against Judar’s throat, who tried to grab onto anything to steady himself. “Let’s… move elsewhere, alright?” 

Nodding, Hakuryuu let go of his hold, removing his hairpiece as he walked towards Judar’s bed. Looking back, he watched the magi throwing away his top, revealing his toned body. 

“I didn’t know you had those,” Hakuryuu pointed out, staring at his newly-formed abs. “Did you work-out to impress me? I know you didn’t have those muscles when you arrived, you wore some rather revealing clothes the first weeks.”

“You like it?” Judar straightened his back, showing them off some more. “Maybe I should start wearing these again, then.”

Hakuryuu rolled his eyes. “Kouha would only comment on what a poser you are, and try to mimic that look,” he hesitated before removing his own clothes. “I haven’t told you, but my scars, they are—”

“I don’t mind. Please don’t tell me you feel insecure now.” Judar crawled on top of his bed, next to the prince. 

“I know. You never judged me, I just didn’t want you to be surprised. I’m still pretty attractive, I would say.” Finally, he began kissing Judar again, who chuckled slightly. 

“Confident much? Pretty sexy, if you ask me. Come now, I want you~”

Fortunately, they didn’t get disturbed this time.

_______________

Just a few weeks later, Kouen returned from his journey to Sindria, officially declaring the end of both their negotiations and the end of the threatening war. It took countless meetings, exhausting conversations, and several arguments, but Hakuyuu promised to secure peace by forming an alliance, despite his former beliefs. 

He was also the first Kou prince to obtain a djinn, as Hakuryuu insisted the people would want that as a sign of his strength as the next emperor, especially since Judar had chosen them both. The magi didn’t care who would go first, as long as Hakuryuu would come with him later. And he did.

The prince ended up conquering two dungeons, and accompanied some of his cousins as well. Kouha laughed, saying he didn't want him to flirt with their magi all the time, so he went alone. Or maybe he simply wanted to prove he could do it on his own.

Gyokuen wasn’t happy about hearing her son being with someone she still didn’t exactly like, but Judar didn’t care that much. Neither did Hakuryuu, he had most of his family approving their relationship, and they stood behind him.

Kou’s future looked bright and promising, after all.


	5. EPILOGUE

Several people gathered in a small room, a maid brushing Judar’s hair carefully, another fondling with his robes, trying to make him look perfect. Judar didn’t like it, watching how more than five women erased every imperfection, trying out different hairstyles on him, then decorated it with a large golden hairpiece that would also be holding the veil later. 

“Hey, careful with that!” he scolded them, after a rather uncomfortable tug on his braid. 

Kougyoku entered, smiling brightly. “You look beautiful, Judar,” she chirped, cornering the stool he was standing on. The maids immediately stepped away, bowing in respect. 

“Pfft, I hate this! I look like some spruced up bride, this look isn’t suited for me!” The magi stared at the huge mirror in front of him. He indeed looked completely different now, and that moment made him remember when Gyokuen came to see him just a bit over a year ago. So much had changed since then. Last time he didn’t want a marriage, and this time, he had been the one asking Hakuryuu for it.

“Don’t think like this, Judar-chan! The red matches your eyes, and I’m happy for you! This means a lot for Hakuryuu, you shouldn’t complain.” Kougyoku touched the soft fabric of the gown slightly, running her hand over it. “I wish I could wear something like this, one day.”

“Yeah sure, but you’re already an old hag, I doubt someone wants to marry you!” He grinned, now mirroring her motions. “I mean you _could_ ask your father if he let’s you ask that former slave girl, I love to see him pissed off, you know?” 

Kougyoku’s face turned bright red, hiding it behind her sleeves. “I-I don’t know what you mean. My brother will be here soon, to bring you into the hall.” She went to leave, Judar laughing. “Don’t worry, Yuu will be emperor soon, he will allow it!”

“I don't know what you mean,” she screeched, running outside.

Judar was left alone now, after the maids finished their work. Taking a final look, he now got slightly nervous. After such a long time he would really get married in a few minutes! 

Soon, Koumei stepped inside, wearing formal attire. “Are you ready? I’ll bring you inside soon, the others are all in their final preparations.”

“Why you? I can go there myself, like hell I need someone to babysit me!” Judar folded his arms, raising an eyebrow. 

“It would be your family's duty to do that, but since you’re here without them—”

“Yeah, yeah, I understand!” The magi didn’t want the Rens to send him a substitute because he didn’t have anyone from his former village to accompany him. 

Koumei sighed, closing the door. “I hope that you know that we all think very highly of you. Not just Hakuryuu, but also my brothers, and my cousins. This country has gained riches from the several dungeons thanks to you, but your arrival has changed a lot more than that. We all see you as a part of our family now. Maybe you will feel the same after some time.”

“Hey, now. No need to kiss my ass! Kou isn’t half bad, I wouldn’t be here if that wasn’t the case. Don’t expect me to raise a dungeon for your boyfriend, however. His magoi is fucking low, he can’t do shit with a djinn like this.” Judar stepped down from the stool, ready to leave now. 

As they stepped outside, Koumei offered a hand to him, and Judar took it. “Muu doesn’t need a djinn. As a fanalis, he is already strong. Maybe even stronger than you.” He smiled slightly, watching Judar puffing his cheeks. 

“As if! I bet I could beat him without using magic!” 

They both laughed, passing many rooms. “What are you going to do from now on?” Koumei asked, trying to calm the other’s nerves with a small conversation. 

“We’ll go to Sindria, me and Hakuryuu. I want to see it, since I heard the king there is an idiot who thinks he can rule the world or something. This country is kinda the reason I am here now. Also,” Judar stopped at the great door, preparing his veil. “Do you really see me as your family now? Quite funny, that thought.”

“You _are_ my brother now,” Koumei said, nodding.

Judar snickered. “Yeah, you’re the ugly one and I’ve got all the good genes!” As the door opened, they saw the hall in bright colors, the guests and princes, as well as Koutoku’s many children and their husbands and wives, now bowing before them.

Hakuryuu waited, sitting on the other side, dressed in red just like Judar. As far away as they were from each other, Koumei knew he was smiling. He spotted Muu in the crowd, nodding towards him. Maybe someday they would be together like this. But today it was his cousin’s turn. 

As he watched Hakuryuu kiss Judar later, swearing to love and protect his husband forever, he couldn’t help but wonder how all of this happened. It sure was quite the surprise, but Hakuryuu himself was most likely the one who never expected this day to come.


End file.
